Tobacco rack



May 5, 1970 T. J. DANFORD VTOBACCO RACK Filed July :51, 1968 United States Patent 3,510,009 TOBACCO RACK Tiras J. Danford, Leesburg, Ga., assignor to Harrington Manufacturing Company, Lewiston, N.C. Filed July 31, 1968, Ser. No. 749,016 Int. Cl. A47f 7/00 US. Cl. 211-49 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A first rack portion comprises a single piece of tubular material bent to define a pair of parallel bottom portions having a pair of parallel side portions at one side thereof joined by a bight portion. A second pair of parallel side portions extend from the bottom portions and include free ends. A second rack portion is a one-piece tubular member of generally U-shaped configuration, the free ends of said second rack portion being swingably interconnected with the free ends of said first rack portion. A lock member is carried by a bight portion of said second rack portion and is adapted to engage the bight portion of said first rack portion to lock said rack portions in predetermined relationship to one another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to rack upon which tobacco leaves are placed by workers in tobacco fields. After the leaves are picked, they are taken to a tobacco barn for curing. In the past, pickers have walked between rows of the tobacco plants and picked off the ripe tobacco leaves. In modern day operations, the pickers usually ride through the tobacco fields on a motorized vehicle, and while in a sitting position on such vehicle pick the leaves off of the plants and place them in some sort of a holder such as a bin, basket or rack and the like.

The tobacco holders are then delivered to an area adjacent a curing barn, and workers at this point then remove the leaves from the holders and put the leaves in a so-called curing rack which is then placed in a curing barn.

A rack for the purpose of the present invention must be arranged so that it is easy to place the tobacco leaves in place on the rack, and the rack should be of such a construction so as to facilitate proper orientation of the leaves.

A rack of this type should further be easy to pick up and handle, and means should be provided for holding tobacco in proper position within the rack. When the tobacco leaves are properly aligned in such a rack, they can be unloaded directly into a bulk curing rack or onto a looping table, or handed to loopers, thereby speeding up operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, a first rack portion is provided including spaced bottom and side support portions for receiving leaves of tobacco which may be readily placed in operative position therewithin.

The rack includes a second rack portion swingably carried by the first rack portion, and after the rack has been filled, this second rack portion is swung down into a position wherein it is locked to the first rack portion thereby holding the two rack portions in position and insuring that the tobacco will be properly oriented and retained in the rack. This arrangement insures perfect tobacco leaf alignment within the rack so that it can be directly unloaded onto a bulk curing rack or looping table.

The rack portions of the present invention each comprise one-piece tubular constructions so that a very lightweight overall arrangement is provided which can be readily handled by women, children and older people even when fully loaded. The locking arrangement of the rack is such that it can be easily locked and unlocked when desired.

The rack of the present invention provides a versatile construction for handling tobacco on all types of tobacco harvesters or primers.

After the rack is filled, the swingable second portion of the rack is moved into lock position, and the worker can then lift the filled rack off of a machine traveling through a tobacco field at the end of a particular row. The rack can be readily picked up in any position thereof and put on a truck which carries the rack to a sorting area adjacent the curing barn.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top perspective view illustrating the overall construction of the tobacco rack of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view illustrating the manner in which the tobacco rack is filled with tobacco leaves;

FIG. 4 illustrates the tobacco rack in its closed locked position with tobacco leaves retained in place therewithin;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating a modified form of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing still another form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the tobacco rack of the present invention includes a first rack portion indicated generally by reference numeral 10 and a second rack portion indicated generally by reference numeral 12 and swingably carried by said first rack portion.

Each of these rack portions comprises a one-piece tubular member suitably shaped to define the rack portions as hereinafter described. The two rack portions may be formed of any suitable lightweight yet strong and rigid material such as galvanized iron or the like.

As seen in FIG. 1, rack portion 10 is of such a configuration so as to define a pair of spaced parallel bottom portions 20 and 22. These bottom portions 20 and 22 are integral with a first pair of parallel side portions 24 and 26 which extend generally perpendicularly to the bottom portions 20 and 22 respectively. The upper ends of the side portions 24 and 26 are joined by an integral bight portion 28 extending generally perpendicular to the side portions 24 and 26.

A second pair of generally parallel side portions 30 and 32 are formed integral with the opposite ends of the bottom portions 20 and 22 respectively and extend substantially perpendicularly therefrom. Accordingly, the side portions 30 and 32 are also disposed generally parallel with the side portions 24 and 26. The uppermost ends of side portions 30 and 32 terminate in flattened free ends 34 and 36 respectively.

The second rack portion 12 is generally U-shaped in configuration and includes a pair of generally parallel side portions 40 and 42 joined at one end thereof by an integral bight portion 44 extending substantially perpendicular to the associated side portions. The opposite ends of said portions 40 and 42 terminate in flattened free ends 46 and 48, respectively.

The free ends 46 and 48 of the second rack portion 12 are pivotally interconnected with the free ends 34 and 36 of the first rack portion 10 by nut and bolt assemblies 54 and 56 respectively whereby the second rack portion is swingably carried by the first rack portion.

A lock means is provided for locking the bight portions of the two rack portions to one another. As seen most clearly in FIG. 2, this lock means comprises a generally U-shaped rigid plate 60 formed of material such as galvanized iron or the like. This lock member includes a ba e portion 62 from which extends a pair of leg portions 64 and 66 which are disposed at an angle to the base portion so that they taper inwardly toward one another to a slight degree to insure proper locking action.

The lock member 60 is preferably carried by the bight portion 44 of the second rack portion and is secured thereto by a number of rivets 70 extending through base portion 62 of lock member 60 and a second number of rivets 72 extending through leg portion 64 of the lock member.

It is apparent as seen in FIG. 2 that when the bight portions 42 and 28' are disposed adjacent one another, the leg portion 66 of the lock member is adapted to fit beneath the undersurface of bight portion 28, the dimensions of the lock member being such that portion 66 will tightly engage bight portion 28 in the position shown in FIG. 2 to hold the rack members in locked position.

Referring now to FIG. of the drawings, a modification isillustrated wherein the components of the tobacco rack are the same as those described previously with the exception that the lock member is of modified construction. In this form of the invention, the lock member is indicated generally by reference numeral 70 and includes a first portion 72 secured to the bight portion 44 of the second rack portion by a number of rivets 74. A second portion 76 of the lock member extends substantially normally to portions 72 and is also secured to bight portion 44 by a number of rivets 80.

The lock member includes a further portion 82 extending substantially normally to portion 76, portion 82 in turn joining with a further portion 84 extending substantially normally thereto. As seen in FIG. 5, when the bight portions are disposed adjacent one another, the portions 76 and 84 are adapted to engage the bight portion 28 to hold the rack members in locked position.

Referring now to FIG. 6 of the drawings, a lock member indicated generally by reference numeral 90 is of generally S-shaped configuration. The lock member includes a first portion 92 secured to the bight portion 44 of the second rack portion by a number of rivets 94. A portion 96 of the lock member extends substantially normally from portion 92 and is secured to bight portion 44 by a number of rivets 100.

A lock portion 104 extends substantially normally from portion 96 and joins with a portion 106 extending substantially normally from portion 104. A further lock portion 110 extends substantially normally from portion 106. It is apparent that when the bight portions are adjacent one another as seen in FIG. 6, portions 104 and 110 of the lock member will engage bight portion 28 to hold the rack members in locked position.

When utilizing the rack of the present invention, a picker will first open the rack by releasing the lock member and swinging the second rack portion 12 upwardly and away from the first rack portion as illustrated in FIG. 3. When the rack portion 12 is thus swung into open position, the tobacco leaves L are placed across the bottom portions of the first rack portion and stacked upon one another until the rack is substantially filled as illustrated in FIG. 3. The second rack portion is then swung downwardly until the lock member engages the first rack portion in the lock position as described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2.

The rack is then in the closed position as shown in FIG. 4 wherein the rack may be lifted and handled as desired. The lock member itself serves as a convenient handle portion for handling the rack, although the rack may be picked up from any side thereof once it is disposed in the closed lock position as illustrated.

In actual practice, when it is desired to release the rack from its lock position, the bight portion 28 may be forced toward the free ends of side members 30 and 32 since the first rack member is of a resilient tubular construction. As soon as the bight portion 28 clears the portion 66 of the lock member, the second rack portion 12 may be swung away from the first rack portion to open the rack. Bight portion 28 may be similarly moved to clear the lock member when moving the components into the locked position.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from they spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, and since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tobacco rack comprising first and second rack portions, each of said rack portions being of one-piece construction, said first rack portion defining a pair of spaced generally parallel bottom portions having a first generally parallel pair of side portions extending therefrom, said first side portions being connectedby a bight portion, said first rack portion also defining a second pair of generally parallel side portions extending from said bottom portions and defining free ends, said second rack portion comprising a one-piece tubular member of generally U-shaped configuration having free ends and including a bight portion, the free ends of said second rack portion being swingably interconnected with the free ends of said first rack portion, said bight portions being disposed adjacent one another in one position to define an article enclosing rack.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim .1 including lock means for locking said second rack portion in predetermined position relative to said first rack portion, said lock means being carried by one of said bight portions and being engageable with the other of said bight portions.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said lock 'means comprises a plate including a portion of generally cross-sectional configuration.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 14,279 4/1917 Back 211-181 1,095,045 4/ 1914 Timberlake 211181 X 1,499,665 7/1927 Kaufman 211181 X 3,043,441 7/ 1962 Dumford 211-181 X JAMES A. LEPPINK, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 211-178, 181 

